Reggie Jackson rookie number

[prichmond]

Re: Reggie Jackson rookie number

I would suspect they are. I have several a's uniforms from 68-76 and you can see where the B was attached when you put them on a light table. Some where I recall reading that he also had his players wear the same uniforms from one season to the next.

[Bhawk2]

Re: Reggie Jackson rookie number

In this case the unusual number turned out to be a minor league number, but at least for the A's there can be a lot of different numbers in spring training. The 1977 A's yearbook features 25 players, and 16 of them didn't play for the A's in 1976. Of those who are pictured with visible uniform numbers, 7 of 8 are wearing a number other than the number they ended up with. The spring training jerseys don't have NOBs, and in one case there is a 1976 jersey (with bicentennial patch) with a number not used in 1976 and no NOB, so clearly they stripped a game jersey, changed the number and made it a spring training jersey.

[G1X]

Re: Reggie Jackson rookie number

I would suspect they are. I have several a's uniforms from 68-76 and you can see where the B was attached when you put them on a light table. Some where I recall reading that he also had his players wear the same uniforms from one season to the next.

Birmingham did not have a "B" on their jerseys after 1965. The vest jerseys they wore from 1967 through 1974 had the A on the chest. Below are a few team photos from the early 1970s along with a nice photo of Reggie Jackson from 1967. I cannot recall if Birmingham wore the vests in their last season as the A's Class-AA farm team in 1975. I was thinking that they switched to the pullover style that year, but I have not been able to find any photos to document.

Perhaps the jerseys that have the outline of the "B" were worn by Burlington who was a long-time Class-A team of the A's during that era.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

Always looking for World Football League uniforms

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Re: Reggie Jackson rookie number

very cool display. I know Chuck Finley was a very thrifty owner. Do you know if these jerseys were retreads from the majors? thanks for the info.

I actually think it was fairly standard practice for MLB teams to send used uniforms down to their farm teams in the 70s. I know that I purchased a pair of 1974 Pawtucket pants from Heritage used by Fred Lynn. The Heritage listing basically said it couldn't have been Fred's, since he wore 19 during his Sox tenure. The pants said "LYNN 8" on the inside waist buckle. Anyway, I knew that Fred wore #8 while with Pawtucket, so I took a chance and picked them up. When I got them, I decided that my cousin would appreciate them much more (he went to college in the New England area, so he's a fan of their teams), so I gave them to him as a Christmas gift. One day, I saw Fred Lynn had a Facebook page, so I decided to ask him about the pants.

He said he couldn't be absolutely positive, but they looked like his. He commented that someone shortened them, but the pants overall looked like his, and the "LYNN 8" was in his print style. I asked if he'd be willing to take a look at them and sign them as gamers. He responded that it'd be better not to send them as he might just keep them, making a joke that you can never trust a ballplayer.

Here's the Heritage listing:

http://sports.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=151311&lotNo=43180

After I won, I also found this listing that sort of confirmed the original suspicion about it being from Pawtucket (before Fred confirmed it, of course):

http://www.premierauctionsonline.com/dwight-evans-fred-lynn-1974-game-worn-boston-red-s-lot32126.aspx

[ossteve]

Re: Reggie Jackson rookie number

Hi,
Here's the gauge on Reggie's rookie "numbers:"

"...As a rookie that season, Reggie wore number “31” with the KC A’s for a brief time before wearing number “9”, the number he would wear from 1968-1974. During the 1967 season, Bob Duliba (5’10” 180lbs) also wore number “31” for seven games in Kansas City. Duliba started the season with the club and on May 11, was optioned to Vancouver. He did not return to the A’s thus making his final appearance in the Bigs on May 9, 1967 (confirmed in dated newspapers). Reggie (6’ 195 lbs) was called up on June 3, 1967 and was issued number 31, which he wore until he was sent down on July 3rd. He was also recalled in September of 1967, whereupon he picked up number 9.

Including here are shots of a program box score from late June against the Angels, a KC Newspaper story/photo where you can make out Reggie in number 31 and shots of his gold rookie vest and helmet. Also link to old greyflannel auction where the white rookie vest sold:

http://catalog.greyflannelauctions.com/1967-reggie-jackson-rookie-kansas-city-athletics-g-lot27311.aspx

Best,
Steve

[prichmond]

Re: Reggie Jackson rookie number

Steve

as always nice work on the uniform. glad to see you back in action

pete